In 2024, the LIFE DIVERSEED project was in full swing. The main objective was to collect seeds that the project partner Agrostis would grow to create the first regional seed mixture intended for the restoration of grassland habitats up to an altitude of 1,000 m.
As a project partner, Agrostis is responsible for providing the seeds needed to create regional seed mixtures. During the 2024 season, Agrostis managed to collect seeds from 54 perennial meadow plant species. Most of these were herbs, but grasses and sedges were also represented. Only common species were collected, not protected plants.
The list of species to be included in the regional seed mixture was created by the project partner – the Centre for Plant Biology and Biodiversity (CBRB) of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. These species will be grown by Agrostis from the collected seeds in nurseries, special cultivation fields designed to ensure regular and reliable seed collection.
In 2025, we will continue to focus on collecting species that we currently lack or have not yet been able to find. At the same time, our goal is to create an affordable product, so we do not collect species for which there is a locally registered variety of Slovak, Czech, or Hungarian origin. Another project partner, the Central Control and Testing Institute of Agriculture (ÚKSUP), is assisting us with the varieties and will also ensure the testing of seed mixtures, sowing methods, guidelines, and seed registration.
The year 2024 thus marked a significant step forward. Thanks to targeted field work, seed collection, pre-cultivation, and preparation of cultivation fields, in cooperation with experts and professional organizations, a solid foundation is being laid for the creation of the first registered regional seed mixtures in Slovakia!
The aim is to offer a nature-friendly tool for landscape restoration that will not only be ecologically valuable but also practically usable in the various conditions of the Western Carpathian region.